Little Falls transcript. [volume] (Little Falls, Morrison County, Minn.) 1876-1894, 1887-01-07
A Hlghwayman's Pledge.

Washington Correspondence N. Y. Herald.
There is now lying on the Presidents
desk an application for the pardon of
Robert Doughty, a United States pris-
oner at the Chester (Ill-) Penitentia-
ry. The report which accompanies
the application is very interesting, and
combines the elements of a first.class
romance. A regiment OF rangers was
formed about four years ago to repel
the invasion OF Indians along the
western border of Texas. One of the
enlisted men was Robert Doughty, then
a youth of 10. A few months later,
when the troops disbanded, Doughty
found himself penniless and sew
eral hundred miles from home. He
was 81 wild, harum-scaru1nf fellow, with
q heart as big as his wide sombrero,
and with little respect for that kind
OF justice which Furnishes q man who
robs his neighbor, especially when the
neighbour has all the luxuries and the
robber none. So it happened that
one night Doughty and three of his
companions as reckless as himselfsta.
toned themselves along the highway,
and in the language OF the report,
"held up" the Laredo and Corpus
Christi stage. It is thought that the
boys executed the robbery more in a
spirit Of adventure than anything
else. They openly boosted OF their
exploit and evidently regarded it as
something to be proud OF.
But the coach, it appears, carried
the United States mails, and the fed
eral authorities were instructed to
look into the matter, which they did
with so much alacrity that within a
week the young men found themselves
within the wall of the County Jail at
San Diego. One day O. letter reached
Doughty from his home in the eastern
part Of the State. It contained the
intelligence that his mother was dan
gerously i'll and wished to see him be-
fore she died. Doughty made repeated
etfore to secure bail and obey his
mothers dying request. He was un-
successful, however, until the Sheriff,
sympathizing with the boys distress,
said:
IF l permit you to go home will you
return and deliyec yourself up within
the next ten days?"
Doughty promised solemnly that he
| would return. The sheriff handed him
$50 and he started at once. He
reached home in time to receive his
mothers blessing. After the funeral
he started to return to San Diego.
Upon being questioned as to his rea-
son for leaving home so suddenly,
Doughty explained to his family the
circumstances of his arrest and liberia
ton. He was told that he was fool
ish in matter of so much Importance
to himself to he influenced by senti-
mental considerations.
"We will furnish you the necessary
outfit to carry you across the border
into Mexico" they said, "where you
will be safe from pursuit and cap.
ture."
But Doughty refused to be influence
ed. He had given his word of honor.
The Sheriff had made himself respon-
sible for his safe return, and he could
not and would not 60 back on him.
He. accordingly returned to San Diego
and delivered himself again into Gus
tody. He was tried at the October
term of 1882 and sentenced to eight
years in the penetentiary. The ap-
plication for his pardon is based
upon his youth at the time the
robbery was committed and his
manlinesss in keeping his promise to
the friend whose generosity enabled
him to visit his dying mother. i,